This is the city: Los Angeles, California. I work here. I'm an ex-mayor. Los Angeles is a magnet for people from all over the world. Some of them run for public office. Inevitably some of them stray from the golden rule and rule for those that have the gold. That's when I go to work. My name is Yorty. I'm a dead pol.

** Blogger's Note: The Friends of the Southwest Museum have retain former Fox 11 News Reporter John Schwada as its Communications Frontperson as they prepare to disclose an ambitions plan for the museum site above the Arroyo Seco---Scott Johnson.

BOLD PLAN FOR SOUTHWEST MUSEUM TO ANCHOR CULTURAL-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT

Plan Challenges Autry Museum to Re-Think Its Neglect of the City’s First Museum

Advocates for the iconic Southwest Museum will unveil an ambitious plan tomorrow (10 am, Wednesday, Dec. 11th) to preserve and revitalize the city’s first museum and make it the centerpiece of a cultural and economic development district that links numerous cultural attractions in the Arroyo Seco communities of Highland Park, Montecito Heights, Sycamore Terrace and Mt. Washington.

“Our plan is meant to jumpstart a dialogue with the Autry Museum, the city’s elected leaders and those committed to the city’s cultural well-being about how to return the Southwest Museum to its original glory as a fully-functioning museum,” said Nicole Possert, spokesperson for the Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition.

A Nov. 25th Los Angeles Times editorial challenged the Autry – the Southwest Museum’s managing partner – to reconsider its plan to take the Southwest out the museum business and make it a glorified community center.

The Coalition’s plan, developed by architect Louisa Van Leer of Plum Architects, will be released, with large architectural illustrations, at a location that shows off the Southwest Museum’s iconic beauty.

The plan envisions knitting together a variety of existing cultural and recreational attractions in the Arroyo Seco into a coherent, pedestrian- and bike-friendly cultural district that would stimulate economic development in the affected communities.